eSports have boomed in your lifetime and now top players are regularly making million dollar salaries by playing the games they love.

Since 2000 the growth of online game playing and competitions has seen eSports become among the most viewed and most lucrative activities around.

The total eSports audience around the world is estimated to be over 250 million, and it’s not just a lad thing. Over 30% of the global viewing audience is female, and their numbers are growing rapidly.

And they’re playing for big money these days – revenue across all eSports in 2018 is expected to approach US$2 billion.

Top players can make big money, with dozens of players around the world making million dollar pay packets annually. The best player in the world is considered to be the Korean star Faker who after winning the League of Legends world champs three years in a row signed an annual contract worth US$2.5 million a year.

Kiwi gamer looks to hit the big time

At 17 former Massey High School gamer Ari ‘Shok’ Greene-Young is poised to hit the big time as a league of Legends star. He currently lives with his team in Sydney, training 10+ hours six days a week on his way to being NZ’s top LoL player.

Ari was scouted in July last year after his talent was spotted during the New Zealand League of Legends High School competition in 2016.

The High School League (HSL) is a free national eSports competition for New Zealand High Schools. Over 100 school teams from Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin took part in the nationwide League of Legends competition last year.